This name ultimately comes from the name for the island that was bestowed upon it by the Britons, who were the tribe who had settled there before the Anglo-Saxons arrived.
This political entity formed slowly over time. In the 16th century, Wales, which had already been conquered by England, was fully incorporated into the Kingdom of England.
In , a treaty between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland was signed, forming the Kingdom of Great Britain because now the whole island was one political entity. Then, in , after a period of subjugation by England, the Kingdom of Ireland was formally incorporated to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Finally, in , most of Ireland gained independence from the United Kingdom, splitting the island into two: Ireland and Northern Ireland, the latter of which stayed part of the United Kingdom. For those interested only in the question in the headline, this is all you need to know about Britain, England and the UK. Britain is the landmass where England is, England is one country, and the United Kingdom is four countries united together.
But when it comes to the United Kingdom, there are a lot more intricacies to be considered. The British Isles is another term that is more geographical than political, though they encompass both England and the UK. It refers to the whole grouping of islands in that part of the country. The two largest are Great Britain and Ireland, but there are many smaller islands as well.
These are the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and thousands of smaller islands. Most of the smaller British Isles are politically part of the United Kingdom. Skye, Lundy and Portland, for example, are all part of the countries nearest them, and thus are not politically separate.
Three of the British Isles, however, are in a separate political class: a Crown dependency. They do have their own legislative bodies to self-govern, but the United Kingdom technically has the ability to impose its laws on them. At its apex, the British Empire had massive territories stretched out across the world.
But in the early 20th century, when that period of colonialism came to a close, many countries gained independence from the United Kingdom. Since becoming a republic in the s, the Republic of Ireland which shares a border with Northern Ireland has operated as a sovereign state of its own.
Though it is physically close to the U. However, the present-day U. These territories remain subject to British rule, though some are self-governing:. Instead of having a relationship with the U. As members of the Commonwealth of Nations , each Commonwealth Realm governs itself, makes its own decisions and foreign policy decisions, but retains ties to the U.
When Fox News did so yesterday, British onlookers were not amused. It is bounded by Wales and the Irish Sea to the west and Scotland to the north. The channel islands like the Isle of Wight, off the southern mainland in the English Channel are considered part of England. The Isles of Scilly, in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwestern tip of the mainland, are also considered part of England.
The island of Great Britain, also called "Albion" by the Romans, consists of three somewhat autonomous regions that include England, Scotland and Wales. It is located east of Ireland and northwest of France in the Atlantic Ocean. The term also includes several offshore islands, including the Hebrides in Scotland.
While England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are called countries, there exist regulations and policies in those states that are determined by the UK. The U. But, in the early 20th century much of Ireland won autonomy as the Irish Free State, and later won independence as the Republic of Ireland.
The United Kingdom comprises, quite literally, the united kingdoms of Scotland and England. They shared monarchs for generations, but were distinct entities. As Elizabeth I was childless, this made him her successor. In England and Scotland both, the parliament passed an act of union formalizing a melding of the two states.
The result was the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
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